Jon Couture: Six-inning scrimmage just part of process for Red Sox

BOSTON — There was a line of fans on Yawkey Way waiting to get in hours before the gates opened, some of whom booed when Jarrod Saltalamacchia took a called third strike in the sixth. (Felix Doubront, who delivered the pitch, must have loved that.) There were infield shifts to retire a loping David Ortiz. Quintin Berry made a full-on diving catch in right reminiscent of Shane Victorino's work there all season.

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By JON COUTURE

southcoasttoday.com

By JON COUTURE

Posted Oct. 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM

By JON COUTURE
Posted Oct. 3, 2013 at 12:01 AM

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BOSTON — There was a line of fans on Yawkey Way waiting to get in hours before the gates opened, some of whom booed when Jarrod Saltalamacchia took a called third strike in the sixth. (Felix Doubront, who delivered the pitch, must have loved that.) There were infield shifts to retire a loping David Ortiz. Quintin Berry made a full-on diving catch in right reminiscent of Shane Victorino's work there all season.

For a lazy afternoon 48 hours before the return of playoff baseball to Boston, the Red Sox did an admirable job of reproducing genuine game situations on Wednesday. John Farrell's brainchild — a full-on scrimmage midway through the four-day break prior to Division Series — at worst, did its job.

It offered a little routine for a team that's thrived on it.

"We're confident in the abilities of our guys. We're confident in the process that we've remained loyal to throughout the course of the year, and the focus on that process, to me, is what's enabled us to get to this point," the manager said. "That doesn't take away from the talent that's there, but in combination with being consistent with that €» we've been able to put guys in a position to succeed. Ultimately, that's, in my mind, what it comes down to."

Staying true to the process, and treating pressure-packed spots like nothing out of the ordinary, is a trademark of good teams and good players. It was a regular talking point during the era of Terry Francona, who would often discuss the value of consistency, or among players discussing 2012's lack of it.

Farrell speaks the same language.

"I think that's probably as much a key as anything, that we continue to do things as expected in our dugout," he said. "That's how guys have prepared and that's how they've been successful. To deviate away from that might send the wrong message to our guys. There is a different environment (in the postseason). There is a different consequence the further along you get. We'll let that unfold and, I think, through our own preparation, lead us to the right decisions being made."

Farrell spoke prior to Wednesday's six-inning victory by the "Blue" team — Saltalamacchia drove in the only run of the game with a first-inning double — then later confirmed the widely speculated pitching order of Jon Lester, John Lackey and Clay Buchholz in the first three games of the ALDS.

At that point, Boston's opponent was still unknown, with either Tampa Bay or Cleveland's victory on Wednesday night sparking a "full day" of more specific preparation on Thursday. Much of the critical work, however, was already done.

Little surprise, given Farrell's priorities since the day he was introduced as the new manager 12 months ago.

"I don't know that we're going to take away from (Wednesday night's game) anything different than our advance scouts have already prepared," he said. "There's a foundation in place, regardless of the opponent."

That focus on advance scouting and pregame prep is a critical, little-discussed part of Boston's 28-game turnaround. (Just ask any of the pitchers who, with the turmoil in the coaching staff, were preparing their own game plans a year ago.) Brian Butterfield, for example, is a two-decade veteran of staffs around the AL East. Dana LeVangie, the first-year bullpen coach, was an advance scout for nearly a decade.

Throughout the year, the process was the same: Amass as much information as possible, distill it to its core, then disseminate a digestible, relevant package to the players. It's the sort of work exemplified in almost everything the Red Sox do, from the dedication to infield shifts to the aggressiveness on the bases.

"I fully expect us to be as prepared, if not more, against our opponent in this series than we would have been in the regular season," Farrell said. "Through that preparation, we found ways or situations we might exploit."

Playoff baseball does occasionally force a manager's hand in a way the regular season doesn't. A quick hook for a pitcher, a shorter leash for a slumping slugger. There's a part of that Farrell is yet to experience.

Rest assured, however, both he and his players will be as prepared as possible for any actuality. As Wednesday showed, they wouldn't have it any other way.

"We'll make the most of the situation," Farrell said.

Contact Jon Couture at jon.couture@bostonherald.com, or through 'Better Red Than Dead' at Blogs.SouthCoastToday.com/red-sox/